Improvement in windlasses and cranks for brakes



H. MpHow'Ann. Windlasses and C'ranks fnrBrakes.

Patented Jan. 6. 1874.

HENRY M. HOWARD, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN STEPHENSON, OF

NEW YORK, Y.

IMPROVMENT IN WiNDLASSES AND CRANKS FOR BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146, ISQ, dated January 6, 1874; application filed June 28, 1873. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. Hownnmof Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Windlass and Crank for Horse- Oar Brakes, of which the following is a speciiication:

The object of Jthis invention is to give the drivers of horse-cars more complete control over the brake thereof than they now have; and consists in a swiveled and adjustable crank or handle, attached to the windlass so as to operate as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal y section of Fig. l taken on the line m.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the windlass, around the lower end of which the brake-chain is wound when the windlass is revolved. Bis the crank. Ordinarily the crank and the windlass are in one piece, the upper end of the latter being drawn out to the proper size and shape and bent over in the crank form, and the windlass is made round. By my improvement the windlass is made polygonal, preferably a hexagon, with the upper end reduced in size with a loose collar or swivel, C, placed thereon, which is kept in posit-ion by the screwnut De The crank has two pairs of jaws, E and F. The former is made to fit two opposite sides of the windlass, and the latter are attached, by swi vel-pins G, to the loose collar or swivel C, as represented in the drawing.

It will be seen that, by raising the outer end of the crank, the jaws E will be detached from the windlass, and the crank may be turned round to allow the jaws E to engage with any other two of the sides of the "windlass By this means the driver is enabled to take a hold of the windlass that will allow him to exert j the required strength to the best advantage.

When the common brake is released the reaction causes the crank to revolve sometimes with great rapidity, and much dan ger to passen4 gers. This danger, with my crank, is avoided. lt is only necessary to raise it so that the jaws E will be detached from the windlass, when Y the latter will revolve `without revolving the crank.

Then the brake is not in use, as, for instance, when the car is reversed, the crank may be thrown over so as to hang out of the way, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The horsecar brake is usually operated by the driver. The driver rotates a crank, and the crank is rigidly connected with the reelshaft or windlass. ln order that the driver may exert his power to the best advantage, the crank-handle should be at a desirable location in its orbit. This is impossible in the ordinary construction, because, though the brake at the outset may be so adjusted as to bring t-he handle to the right position, it will not so continue, for, as the clogs or brakeshoes wear away by contact with the wheels, the crankhandle changes position, and consequently the efficiency of the driver for stopping the car is diminished, and jeopardy results. Another evil inherent in the fixed crank is its release from the drivers hand while in a state of recoil, and thus violently striking passengers 011 a crowded platform produces serious injury.

Both of the foregoing evils are remedied by the jointed-brake reel-crank, as herein speci fied, because the driver can, at will, change the crank-handle to any desirable position in its orbit, and can also release the reel and recoil the brake without rotating the crank.

To attain thesedesirable results the followA ing construction is made: The brake-work, from the crank to the wheels of the ear, may be of any of the known methods of construction. The reel-shaft, above the upper reelholder, becomes a polygon, with a journal in proximity to the polygon. On the journal is placed a collar of special form, properly secured in position. The reel crank or handle is made with a socket corresponding in form, and adapted to receive the upper end of the reelshaft. y One side of the `crank-socket is made open, -so that the reeLshaft may slip in or out at that open side.` The socket is also made with a recess proper to admit the collar before referred to. When the reel-shaft, with the collar, is in the socket of the crank, as described, a bolt or pin is passed through the cheeks or sides of the crank-socket and tl irongh the collar in sueh a manner as not to interfere with the reel-shaft journal. The union of reel and crank may be by a ball-and-soeket joint. The reel-shaft and the crank are thus united7 so that the handle of the crank may be elevated and the polygon part of the reel released j from the crank-socket. NVhile the reel-shaft is thus released7 it has freedom to revolve on its axis Without rotating the crank.

I am aware of a patent issued to Stephen L. Avery for a Well-brake or hoisting apparatus, in which the crank is in the same plane as the ratchet Wheel on the horizontal shaft. It has 'also a slight freedom of motion7 and is made to act as a brake by pressure on the side of the ratchet-wheel for the purpose of ret. rding the descent of the bucket,` Src.; but the Mense mechanical device and the design are entirely diil'erent, and therefore disclaimer is here made for such thing or purpose.

Vhat I claim isl. The brakereel approaching the upper T. B. MosHER, ALEX. F. RoBERTs. 

